William David Nielsen

William (Bill) David Nielsen, 80, of Holladay UT, passed away May 2nd, 2022 surrounded by his family.

Born and raised in the Millcreek area, Bill graduated from Olympus High and the University of Utah with a degree in Economics. He worked as an Allstate Insurance adjuster before founding his own construction business, William D. Nielsen Construction, specializing in commercial warehouses.

Bill freely provided his unfiltered opinion and unsolicited advice to anyone and everyone within earshot. Master of all trades and an expert at EVERTHING, he was a treasure hunter, auto mechanic, archeologist, gemologist, gold prospector, rock hound, drag racer, aviation copilot and an avid junk collector.

Bill enjoyed camping, fishing, bottle digging with his wife, Terryann, their three children, and always, the family dog. He had many years of hunting adventures and escapades with his lifelong friends, Ross and Paul Schoenfeld.

He was a collector of anything: things that worked, lots that didn’t, and numerous parts and pieces that he determined to be of great value. He always had one (or several) of anything you needed — if only he could find it and get it running!

As a food enthusiast, he enjoyed the Chinese Buffett, Del Taco, Arby’s, Yanni’s, the flat sandwiches at McDonald’s, all desserts, and any place you could get a “good deal.”

Bill is survived by his children: Julie (Mike) Nielsen-Neas, Kris (Max) Carrigan and Dave (Alie) Nielsen; grandchildren: Erin, Hayden, Conner, Maggie, Tobias, and Emma; younger brother Gary, niece Amber, and nephew Ben. He is also survived by his beloved dog, Libbie, who helped heal his heart after losing his wife of 52 years in 2016. He is preceded in death by Terryann, his parents William and Katheryn, his sister-in-law, Judy, and his best dog, Jake.

Friends and family are invited to come casually dressed to a Celebration of his Life, Tuesday, May 24th 2022, from 6:00 -8:00 pm at the Starks Funeral Parlor. Guest are encouraged to use the north parking lot. 

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Best Friends Animal Society or the Utah Native Plant Society.

Special thanks to the great team at The Ridge Cottonwood for their attention, love and support of Bill for the past year.

Let’s go fishing!